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Staff Development Philosophy

The University of Michigan Staff Development Philosophy

The University of Michigan Executive Officers have formally adopted the following statement:

The University of Michigan recognizes that people are our most important resource for sustaining excellent teaching, research and service.

To enhance the ability of staff members to contribute to their departments and to provide career satisfaction for productive employees, we are committed to supporting on going staff development for any staff member. Staff development is defined as growth in an individual's knowledge, skill, and personal effectiveness.

Our goal is for all staff members to make the maximum contribution to their departments, while having opportunities to develop their talents, to acquire and use new skills, and thus to achieve greater career effectiveness and satisfaction. Career development opportunities include mentoring as well as informal and formal training.

The role of staff members is to pursue growth by:

Sharing responsibility for their development

Developing, with their supervisors, plans to acquire or enhance skills, assume responsibilities, and prepare for future opportunities

The role of management is to encourage and be supportive of staff development by:

Providing ongoing training needed for current and newly assigned responsibilities

Designing jobs which are challenging

Providing candid feedback on performance

Encouraging staff to learn and grow throughout their careers, and to pursue appropriate career goals

Offering or supporting education and training opportunities to enhance an individual's performances and capacity, even beyond their current position

Publicizing job opportunities so that individuals can pursue positions which they believe will advance their development